Assignment task:
Please read and watch the following speech delivered to a nation-wide television audience by President Ronald Reagan just days after the space shuttle Challenger exploded just seconds after takeoff. The entire crew was killed. The tragedy was made especially poignant by the fact that Christie McAlliffe, the first civilian to join a space shuttle crew, and a young teacher, had captured the attention of the nation, especially school kids.
Reagan has been hailed by supporters and critics alike as "the great communicator." Of course, as a trained actor, Reagan had a comfort level of performing in front of bright lights, cameras, and teleprompters that other Presidents did not share. Evaluate Reagan's speech in terms of his ability to comfort a shocked nation. This speech was delivered on January 28 1986, in lieu of the State of the Union address, so that Reagan could comfort a grieving nation. How effective do you think he was he offering the right tone for the coming to terms with this tragedy? Evaluate both Reagan's words and his body language in his ability to communicate with his audience.
Part: Obviously, other Presidents have been thrust into situations in which they too had to react to tragedies confronting the nation. Identify another President who had been called upon, during a period of tragedy, to calm the fears or speak to the anxieties of the moment. Find a video excerpt of that speech. Please make sure to cite the source.